RAPID CITY, S.D. — In the phrases of Sheriff Kevin Thom:
“Fighting medication is a three-legged stool: Arresting, Educating, and Treating.”
And amongst a bunch of six trainees, University of South Dakota graduate scholar Maria Lehnan can be serving to care campus residents throughout the remedy course of.
“You run into individuals all through your life, whether or not it’s mates or household, which have substance use problems and also you simply need to make a distinction,” Assessment Counselor Lehnan mentioned. “You simply need to not be part of the hindrance of this stigmatizing illness, however you need to find a way to help.”
She joins the Sheriff’s Office with a aim of ending her Master’s and turning into a licensed counselor.
The strategy of turning into a licensed counselor will not be as tasking as it could appear. With a highschool diploma or G.E.D, and approval from a board of dependancy and prevention professionals, residents focused on serving to others combat dependancy can start coaching.
Once employed, they’ve 5 years to full a collection of educational programs earlier than certification.
And with the new trainees, officers are excited at this new perspective.
“There’s one thing completely different about these of us which are simply popping out of faculty or proper in the center of faculty which are bringing loads to the desk,” Clinical Supervisor Amanda Whelchel mentioned. “That individuals which were in the subject for many years don’t have.”
And as Lehnan will get prepared to start, she is targeted on ensuring individuals perceive the reality behind dependancy and dependancy remedy.
“We want individuals to see it for what it really is, which is a chemical illness of the mind,” she defined. “And we’d like to cease stigmatizing it in order that these individuals really feel snug getting help and utilizing assets.”
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